The present invention relates to a process for continuously making disposable wearing articles such as disposable diapers, disposable training pants or disposable pants.
EP 1 132 325 A2 discloses an apparatus adapted to attach adhesive tape strips to a continuous web comprising a series of diapers being still contiguous to one another in its one direction intermittently in one direction of the continuous web. In the case of this apparatus, continuous web comprising a series of adhesive tape strips being still contiguous to one another is introduced between a cutter roll and an anvil roll and thereby cut into the individual adhesive tape strips. These adhesive tape strips are fed and attached to the continuous web of disposable diapers running in one direction. A feed speed of the continuous web of the adhesive tape strips is substantially equal to a rotational speed of the anvil roll and these speeds are lower than a running speed of the continuous web of disposable diapers. The anvil roll lies immediately below the continuous web of disposable diapers and rotates to the running direction of this continuous web. The adhesive tape strips run in the same direction as the continuous web of disposable diapers runs and successively bonded to the continuous web of disposable diapers.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 1986-287645A discloses a tape applicator adapted to feed tape strips each having a predetermined length in a web running direction and to attach the tape strips to the running web. The tape strip is fed in a direction orthogonal to the web running direction and then fed in the web running direction before attached to the web. This applicator is adapted to attach the tape strips to the web so that a plurality of the tape strips may be spaced apart from one another parallel to one another. The speed at which the tape strips are fed in the web running direction is equal to the running speed of the web.
In the above-cited references, the adhesive tape strips are fed in the same direction as the web runs and attached to the web. When it is desired to attach the adhesive tape strips to the web of disposable diapers contiguous to one another at positions corresponding to both side edges of the individual diapers according to the above-cited known art, the web running direction should be orthogonal to the transverse direction of the individual diapers. In other words, the above-cited Publication disclose none of processes adapted to attach the adhesive tape strips to the side edges of the individual diapers at a high efficiency.